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Aussie Watch
Reid and Wheeler get French Open wildcards
May 14, 2004

Australia’s Todd Reid and Christina Wheeler have been announced as the recipients of wildcards into the French Open main draw, under a reciprocal agreement between Tennis Australia and the French Tennis Federation.

Todd Reid has a current world ranking of 119 and in 2004 reached the quarterfinals of the AAPT Championships in Adelaide and the adidas International in Sydney. He won through to the third round at the Nasdaq-100 in Miami and lost to eventual champion Roger Federer in the third round of the Australian Open. Todd is also a regular hitting partner with the Optus Australian Davis Cup Team.

At the 2003 French Open Todd received a wildcard and took a set off Richard Krajicek (NED) in the first round before going down 3-6 6-2 6-2 6-1.

Christina Wheeler’s world ranking currently sits at 177. Recently she has been contesting the ITF Women’s Challenger tournaments in the United States, reaching the quarterfinals of Redding, California, and winning a doubles title (with partner Ansley Cargill, USA) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Like Todd, Christina was also granted a wildcard into the 2003 French Open where she lost in the first round to Italian Tathiana Garbin 6-4 6-3.

The 2004 French Open will be held at Roland Garros, Paris from Monday 24 May – Sunday 6 June

Oh well its the fairest system, when no Aussie deserves it they might as well give it to the highest ranked Aussie!

Christina is just lucky as her ranking is dropping from 177 to outside the top 210 next week, so she just got it ahead of Evie, another week and Evie would have had it!

On the downside we could have had an extra Aussie in the tournament if they had gone with someone else that wasnt already directly in qualifying.

Christina deserves the chance though. Its not like she has had many handouts. unlike Evie who has had stacks of GS Main draw wildcards, think she's up to like 8 now where as this will be Wheeler's 4th I think

No offense But Todd hasnt played any Clay court events and Peter Luczak ( the forgotton one ) has played heaps Peter is 100% deserving poor Pete o well hel Qualify and then Vs reid in the 1st round and beat Him and then he will show every Peter Luczak is the best

I can't complain as I have no problem with them handing out to the highest rank outside of DE.

However, I would like them to follow a similar strategy for the AO instead of the randomness they have employed in the past. Maybe the complaints of Wheeler and Grahame may have finally gotten thru to TA.

Its Besdies the Point Sven if an Aussie has done well on clay then he should be awared the FO WC Peter reached 3 Clay finals what has Todd done on clay? Nothing so does that justify Todd getting a WC for doing nothing while Peter is working his ass off on the Challenger circuit and Todd doing nothing on clay

Baccanello and Draper havnt been sighted all year

Larkham is a lazy ass hasnt competed in anything after those Aussie clay challengers

Luczak will prolly be the only Aussie but lets Pray for Scott and Paul